Improvement in bureau-bedsteads



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM FRANK EEowNE, oF NEw YoEx, N. Y.

iMPRovEMENT 1N BuREAu-:Bx-:nS'i-EADS.

Specifica-tion forming part of Letters Patent No. 130,789, dated August 27, 1872.

To all whom it may concern: j Be it known that I, WILLIAM FRANK BRowNE, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented an Improved Bureau- Bedstead; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making part of this specification- Figure 1 being a front view of the bedstead when folded as a bureau; Fig. 2, a transverse vertical section of the bedstead looking toward the foot-board; Fig. 3, avertical section, from.

- the casting by which the leg is secured to the foot-board; Fig. 10, side view of one of the legs. Like letters designate corresponding parts in all of the figures.

My improved bureau-bedstead is composed of three principal parts-a base A, the headfolding part B, and the foot-folding part C. The base A serves to entirely support the folding parts B (l when folded into the form of a bureau, as shown in Fig. 2, and to support their adjacent ends when spread out as a bedstead, as shown in Fig. 5. It is close at the sides, but open at the bottom, so that when supported on casters, there may be a free circulation of air inside. The folding parts B (l are hinged to the base A at the upper edges of the front and back sides thereof, as shown; and the hinges are in such a position on the bottom of said parts that the adjacent ends of the parts will meet when spread out, as shown in Fig. 5. The depth of the base should be at least half as great as the width, so that the adjacent ends of the folding parts may have room to swing down into the same when the partsy are folded up as a bureau, as shown in Fig. 3.

C In order to allow the folding parts to closely meet when spread out as a bedstead, the adjacent ends thereof are formed, one concave, and the other convex, substantially as shown; the concave head part B requiring to be first let down from the bureau to the bedstead position, and then the convex foot part C let down as indicated in Fig. 6; and when again-folding them up `from the bedstead to "the bureau position, the foot part is first venience in taking apart for transportation the hinge-joints between the folding parts B,

C and the base A are made separable-from the latter. A suitable construction for the purpose is represented in Figs. 2 and 6. Each folding part is hinged to a pairof sliding blocks, c c, of dovetail or equivalent form, in cross-section, which enter dovetail sockets d d, on the inside of the base A'. the parts B C these blocks can be drawn directlyfroin their sockets. The outer swinging ends of the folding parts B C lare supported by legs f f f f, two being attached to the inside of the head-board a, and two to the outside of the foot-board b. They are arranged -so that they can be folded up by the side of the headand foot boards when the parts are to be folded up into bureau form. In order to allow this folding, and yetv to render the legs firm when turned down for use, a peculiar device is provided for attaching them to the head and foot boards; for each leg a casting, g, (Figs. 8.. and 9) is screwed upon the head or foot board in the proper position. This casting has a pivot, h,

with a round body and an oblong head, t', and' above the pivot a (preferably wedge-shaped) lug, 7c. Each leg f (Figs. 7 and 10) has a vertically-oblong slot, l, long enough to pass over `the oblong head 1I of the pivot h, and wide enough to turn round on the body of the pivot. The arrangement is such that after the leg is putupon the pivot the slot and pivot head will not coincide, either when the leg is turned down for use or turned up out ofthe way. When the leg is turned down for use it is allowed to slide upward a little distance by means of its vertical slot l till a notch, m, in

On liftingv g i leones the upper edge thereof fits over the lug k on the casting g; and thus the legis held-securely and firmly in a vertical position, from which it is easily moved when it is required to be folded up. When the parts B C of thebedstead are folded into the form of a` bureau, the headboard a hides the foot-board and the legs f f thereon, there being a space under the headboard deep enough to contain the folded legs, as shown in Fig. 3. The bedstead bottom-is covered with transverse slats n u. The ends of these slats slide and f1t into grooves of grooved stripsp p, secured in the inner corners 'of the bedstead, along .the side rails thereof, as seen mostclearly in Fig. 2. These grooved' strips fulfil the double purpose of holding the ends of the slats in place and of strengthening the bedstead. They hold the slats securely in position at all times, whether the bedstead is spread out or folded up. The mattress is preferably made in two parts, Gr H, one fitting upon the head part and the other upon the foot part of the bedstead, as shown. The outer ends of the two parts G H of the mattress are fastened by loops r r, or their equivalents, in the containing part B C of the bedstead, so that they are suspended when the said parts of the bedstead are folded up into a bureau, as seen in Fig. 3, and thus always remain in proper position without care or trouble.

For the use of invalids, and to suit the convenience of others, the bedstead is or may be so constructed as to lift the head part Gr ofthe mattress into an inclined position, as shown in Fig. 5 5 and the makin g of the bedstead and mattress into two folding parts or sections, respectively, affords superior facility for producing `this inclination. For this purpose the head part G of the mattress is fitted into a separate frame, I, which swings up and down at the head, independently of the head part B of the bedstead. The raised end of this .frame is supported and adjusted in position by means of two supports or arms,s s, hinged to the frame, connected together by a stretcher-rod, t, and provided on their back edges with a set of notches, u u, to fit over pins or other projections o t, all substantially as indicated. When the frame I is let down into a horizontal position the arms s s fold up under the same. When the bedstead is folded up into bureau form, the mattress sections being suspended in close proximity to the folding parts B G thereof, there is left sufcient space between them not only to hold the pillows and bed-clothes, but for free ventilation during the day, so that after the occupant rises in the morning the bed may be made up and folded into the bureau immediately without waiting for open ventilation. The clothes are arranged so as to keep in place when folded upward by means of the suspended mattress, so that at vnight all that is necessary to prepare for going to bed is to unfold and spread down the bedstead. The ventilating space between the parts B C connects with the open space in the base A, and may also connect with openings in thesides of the bureau, as shown in Fig. 3. But in order to completely hide the mattress and bed-clothes these openings are covered by removableshields or doors J J, Fig. 4, thereby giving a complete finish to the sides of the bureau, and

.made into a bedstead. but be folded or swung under the bottom of the head part B, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. To accomplish this the mirror is hinged at w to a block, y, which turns on avertical pivot, z, in the top a of the bureau, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3. The mirror, when turned down, as shown, is first turned up into an upright position on its hinge w in the block y. The said block is then turned half way round on its pivot z, thus bringing the mirror forward a few inches upon the top of the bureau, where it is held upright by the block. By turning half way round, the mirror, when folded down, has its back only exposed, the glass folding inward. In addition to the mirror two or more deck-drawers, M M, Fig. l, are attached to the top of the bureau, and, as the top turns down to form the head-board of the bedstead, they are behind the same out of the way, and the drawers cannot drop out. These drawers may reach' the entire width of the bureau, and the mirror may be hinged to the top thereof.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- l. The folding parts B, C, when constructed with their adjacent ends respectively concave and convex, and arranged in combination with the base A, so that when spread out for a bedstead they form continuous side rails, substantially as herein specified.

2. The sliding hinge-blocks o c on the folding parts B C, in combination with the sockets d d on the base A, for the purpose set forth. A

3. The leg fl with its oblong hole or slotZ and notch m, in combination with the casting g having a pivot, h, with an oblong head t' and the lug la, substa'ntilly as specified.

4. The mirror L pivoted to the turning block or support y, arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

WM. FRANK BROWNE.

'Witnesses J. S. BROWN, EDM. F. BROWN. 

